Chapter X: Baptism by Fire

"The only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid."

-George R.R. Martin

Starshina Fjodor Belinkov

4th Guards Motor. Rifle Brigade

2nd Guards Tank Corps

4th May 1945

1030 hours

"Mishenka, take your squad up the left! Try to push them back!"

"Da, Serzhant!"

Fjodor fired a few bursts as the young corporal and his squad charged forth, using their allies' hail of fire as cover while they advanced. The German soldiers further down the street responded with sporadic bursts of fire, firing blind over the top of whatever they were using as cover. One such burst tore into one of the men charging across the open ground, sending him to the ground clutching his arm.

"Medic!"

"Wait!"

The two medics nearby, about to charge out into the open, halted at the sergeant's harsh call. With another short order, two smoke grenades were tossed out into the street, obscuring the enemy's line of sight. Fjodor heard them call out to each other, likely making preparations to retreat back further. Looking to the two medics, he nodded. "Go get him. The rest of you, with me!"

"URA!"

The platoon surged forth, using the smoke grenades to advance on the Germans' last known positions. The first few men fired blindly, hoping to keep their adversary from getting any ideas as they pushed forward. Once through the haze brought about by the smoke, the Soviet troops found their cover and began looking for any trace of their enemy. Fjodor scanned the nearby buildings carefully as he reloaded his submachine gun, before being startled out of his thoughts as a T-34 drove up behind him and the tank commander unbuttoned the hatch. "Serzhant, sorry we're late! What's going on?"

"The Germans are holed up in the buildings and are refusing to surrender. We need to flush them out before we can continue our push."

The officer nodded and looked around. "Makes sense. The rest of our brigade will be here soon, and they can assist. We've heard reports of enemy armor nearby; have you seen anything of the sort?"

Fjodor sighed and nodded. "Da. I've had three men rush a Tiger tank to try and get themselves the Order of Stalin, no effect. If you and your men could do something, that'd be appreciated." The tank commander let loose a grim chuckle at Fjodor's defeated tone and nodded. "We will try serzhant. Shouldn't be too hard; most of these bastard's tanks are crewed by mere boys these days." The sergeant simply nodded and waved his thanks to the officer, who returned the gesture and returned to the safety of the T-34's interior.

"Platoon, prodivigat! Protect our tanks!"

Hauptmann Gerhard Koln

1041 hours

"Here they come."

Gerhard sighed as he handed his binoculars over to Gunther, who took them and observed the approaching Soviets. "At least thirty infantrymen that we can see; no telling how many behind them." The man grunted as he returned the optics back to the officer, who stowed them away. "At least you got your wish."

"As mad as it is." Hans said from behind them with a chuckle, getting one from the rest of the squad nearby. They were holed up in the shell of a ruined building, having fallen back again when the Soviets had thrown their smoke grenades. Nikolas was nursing a wounded arm while Ella bandaged it, and Hans was favoring his right leg, having taken some grenade shrapnel earlier. In the short time he'd known the majority of the squad, this was the worst he'd seen them, and it would only get worse from here. Setting the grim thought aside, he managed a grin and looked around. "How are we doing?"

A quiet chorus of positive feedback answered the hauptmann, earning a nod from him before he looked over to where Ella was finishing up field dressing Nikolas's arm. "Think he'll be good?"

"Mmm." the blonde hummed as she stood. "The bullet just grazed him; only superficial damage, really."

"Besides," Nikolas said as he stood, the grin on his face not exactly matching with the wound in his arm. "It's not like you're trying to get rid of the best machine gunner in the company, are you, sir?" A few more chuckles were had at the young man's quip, before Gerhard looked back behind him at the slowly advancing enemy. "Alright, I think that's all the time we have. Let's keep bringing them into the next ambush spot, shall we?"

The others nodded in affirmation and followed their captain out of the ruins and into an alley, out of sight of the Soviets. Save for the sound of boots crunching on the rubble and the occasional clinking of a loose canteen, the squad was silent as they traversed the streets, putting some distance between them and the enemy hunting them. As they came to a corner, Gerhard held up his hand, turning around. "Amelia, you're up. Ready?"

The young woman took a deep breath and nodded. "As I'll ever be."

"Good." Gunther stated, his voice betraying no humor he may have intended to insert into that single word. "Remember, just a few shots to draw them in, and then book it." Gerhard nodded in agreement, and Amelia hummed her understanding. He watched her head down to the other end of the side street, peeking around the corner before looking back and flashing a thumbs-up. "Alright, let's go."

The rest of the squad began jogging, coming out into a small plaza, where Maho's Tiger was waiting, armor and gun directed at the main road. Gerhard gave a quick wave and directed the squad to take position, just as a a few rifle shots rang out from behind them.

"Tam oni! Pryamo po kursu!"

In response, bursts of automatic fire belted out, followed by the booming of a cannon as Amelia presumably ran for her very life back to her squad. On the hauptmann's hand signal, the others readied their weapons as the T-34's engine revved and the sound of tracks grew closer, alongside the shouting of Soviet troops as they charged ahead. The aforementioned young woman came tearing around the corner and dove out of the way, clearing the rest of the squad's line of fire as the first enemy troops entered the square.

"Der'mo!"

"Fire!"

Gerhard's squad let loose with a hail of fire, shredding the first rank of Guards troops as they came to an abrupt stop. However, they quickly recovered, and in moments, the enemy was entering the square from nearby side streets, forcing the squad to reposition and occasionally take cover as bullets came flying in from new directions. As Gerhard ducked down and began reloading a new clip, he noted that the Tiger had yet to fire its machine guns, or even fire the main cannon; while he understood why, the added help would have been appreciated right around now. He heard one of the younger men speaking his thoughts out loud about the matter as well, but any response he may have had was cut off as a shell screamed overhead and slammed into the turret of the Tiger, ricocheting off and flying high into the air. "Cover!"

The squad ducked and covered their heads as the 85mm shell came spinning back down to earth, thudding into the dirt between Hans and Leopold. Without missing a beat, the turret of the Tiger swung around, targeting the Soviet tank that was now charging their position, accompanied by at least two squads of infantry. A second later, the infamous cannon boomed and set the ears of everyone nearby ringing painfully. As unfortunate as the defenders may have considered themselves as a result, Gerhard felt better off than the crew of the Soviet medium as their tank exploded into flames, demoralizing the infantry nearby and even catching a few in the blast. Gerhard directed Bernhard and Gunther to suppress the remaining flankers before turning back to the main body of the enemy assault, emptying his clip as the attackers approached. "Keep it up! Don't give in, not for a moment!"

The only answer he received was a smattering of machine gun fire as Nikolas released a stream of bullets on a clump of soldiers, downing them and enticing the remaining troops to start retreating into cover, their initial fervor lost in the face of the German squad's steady defense. Gerhard heard another tank nearby, and sure enough, a T-series medium tank rolled around the corner, only to be immediately blasted by the Tiger next to them. Despite the hit, the enemy tank's turret swung about and fired a shot at the Tiger, one that hit the tank and simply pinged off into the dirt.

"Grenade out!"

Gerhard traced the arc of the grenade through the air, watching it land near a pair of soldiers that had gotten into cover a little too close to his position. As the charge exploded, so did too the T-34, as another 8.8-centimeter shell lodged itself within. The hauptmann nodded his thanks to Leopold, who shrugged off the gesture and resumed firing. The officer did the same, firing a few bursts from his assault rifle at an anti-tank soldier that had appeared and bringing him down.

"Gerhard!"

The man's eyes snapped over to the left, where Gunther was pointing out another two enemy tanks that had suddenly appeared with what looked like a fresh platoon of infantry. As he cursed, he pulled out one of his smoke grenades and made ready to throw it. "Squad, be ready to retreat to the next location! Amelia, get up there and let Maho know we're moving out!"

"Jawohl!"

With the others giving their affirmation to his orders, Gerhard threw the smoke grenade, obscuring the entrance to the square. He allowed Maho and her crew the chance to disable the two new tanks that had appeared before throwing another to cover their flank, and when the smoke had grown enough to cover them completely and the gunfire had died down some, Gerhard nodded. "Move out!"

The seven members of the squad did exactly that, scrambling over the mounds of rubble and sandbag piles that had been their defensive position. Atop the Tiger, Amelia crouched low as she directed Maho towards the next location they had previously planned out, the Tiger's engine drowning out the shouts of the Soviets behind them. With no doubt that the enemy was working their way towards their former position under cover of the smoke, Gerhard hurried the rest along, taking a swift look behind him every few moments to ensure no surprises appeared behind them.

"Hauptmann!"

The sudden buzz of a Soviet submachine sounded from ahead of them, and Gerhard turned to see an enemy squad before them, cutting off their path of retreat. As he watched, another squad appeared down the street, looking lost for a moment, before they turned and saw their comrades and joined in the assault on the increasingly-surrounded German unit. "Take the other street! Amelia, tell them to get lost and get down here!"

"But sir-"

"Nein! We'll be able to escape on foot if we don't have to worry about protecting them! Do it!"

The young woman blinked once before relaying the orders to the crew of the Tiger and jumping down. As Gunther ushered the squad away swiftly, Gerhard saw Maho appear from within the tank, fixing him with a pointed look that he could clearly gain the sentiment of, even though no words were spoken. He simply shook his head and mouthed and apology before a spray of bullets enticed the both of them to take cover. As Gerhard dove for the ground, he heard the engine of the Tiger rev up louder than he'd heard it yet, and when he next looked, the steel beast was already far down the road, further than it probably had a right to be.

'Keep them safe, whoever's listening."

"Gerhard, let's go!"

Hans and Nikolas, having stayed back, laid covering fire down on the relentless tide of Soviet troops, allowing the captain to rejoin the others and take a moment to breathe. The two men looked at their commander as he caught his breath, Hans taking the chance to speak up. "Gunther took the others on ahead. He said he'll try to meet us at the previously mentioned location."

Gerhard nodded as he stood up straight. "Let's not waste time then. They'll be on us any second." The other two men nodded and began moving, Nikolas helping the injured Hans over some of the more difficult terrain as the hauptmann led them off of the streets and into the maze of backstreets and alleyways of suburban Berlin.

'And now, let us see who can be more wily; the hunter, or the hunted.'

Maho Nishizumi

1116 hours

The sound of gunfire quieted down as Maho secured her hatch, making sure it was tight before taking up her normal position behind Riko, keeping an eye out for any threats as they rolled down the street. The others remained quiet, the atmosphere inside the tank tense as everyone was on high alert, looking for any sign of movement.

'You'd better make it through whatever it is you're about to face, Gerhard.' Maho thought, willing her thought to try and reach the hauptmann as she took a brief look behind the tank, seeing nothing but a cloud of smoke obscuring the Tiger's retreat. 'We still have a lot to talk about.' The young woman sighed and opened up the copy of the map the aforementioned German captain had given her, looking for any location where they could make a stand. While the hand-drawn map wasn't the best, she could definitely see that whomever in the squad had made the map had practice. After circling a few locations that stood out, Maho ducked and handed the map to Yukiko, exchanging a few terse words with the younger girl before retaking her position in the top of the tank.

For a few more moments, the area around them remained quiet, the Soviet soldiers most likely being held up by Gerhard and his squad. Maho had been impressed with the ferocity with which the German soldiers fought, despite most of them being rather pessimistic most of the time, when the bullets weren't flying. She supposed they had reason enough to be that way, but regardless, each of them were masterful in their work, bloody though it may have been. A grim smile cracked across her face at that thought; the same could be said of her and the rest of her crew now.

"Maho, up ahead!"

Shaken out of her thoughts, the Tiger's commander peered through her viewport, seeing a few Soviet infantrymen pointing towards the tank as it rolled towards them. "Yukiko, take the turn here!"

Wordlessly, the driver threw the wheel to the right, throwing the other crewmembers around as the heavy tank took a sharp turn and clipped the side of the corner building. After looking ahead to ensure the way was clear, Maho looked behind them, watching as the Soviet infantry came around the same corner and attempted to chase down their retreating adversary. "Step on it!"

"Yokite!"

Yukiko continued to maneuver the tank through the cluttered streets of suburban Berlin as Maho and the others scanned the area constantly. Another Soviet squad appeared, only to disappear behind a building as Yukiko took another turn without prompting. 'They're closing in.' Maho thought as the tank made it back up to speed, the Simmering engine behind them roaring as it was pushed harder than ever. "Yukiko, get us to open ground, somewhere where we can see them coming! And keep an eye on the engine!" The driver shouted an affirmative, only audible through the communications set.

After another turn, Maho saw another squad of infantry, with an intersection bordering a field behind the soldiers. Despite the sixty-ton tank bearing down on them at high speed, the Soviet troops refused to balk, instead only moving to the side and readying some sort of weapons. "Riko, Hisayo, use the machine guns and suppress them!"

A moment passed, in which Maho looked down to see the two girls looking at each other warily. Not willing nor able to take the extra moments, Maho yelled, both into the tank and the headset "NOW!"

The two MG34s clattered to life, throwing lead downrange and convincing the Soviets to duck into cover. The way clear, Maho directed Yukiko to shoot through the plaza ahead and into the field ahead. To late, though, the thought crossed her mind that the Soviet soldiers before them had started moving just a little too early for the MG34s to be their reasoning.

"Left side!"

"Brace!"

With a resounding 'BOOM' that echoed in the entire crew's ears, the Tiger was tossed to the side as a shell slammed into its side. Maho, jolted out of her seat from the blast, struck the breech of the cannon and nearly fell into the lower compartment before Riko and Niko both caught her and hauled her back up. As she recovered and looked around, she made out the shape of an assault gun, gun directed at her Tiger. "Yukiko, get us out of here!"

The engine revved and the Tiger jerked forwards, the engine clattering dangerously behind them as the ISU to the left fired a second shot, the shell just missing the side of the turret and whizzing over the engine deck, taking the toolbox with it as it passed. Maho, stoic and unwavering as she was, still felt a chill go down her side as the radio behind her rattled with the force of the near miss. She watched as Yukiko took the tank out into the open, driving across the open field until the Tiger suddenly spun around and Yukiko started cursing. The five crew members were left facing the street they'd just exited from, where a few Soviet troops were looking at them warily. "What happened, Yukiko?"

"The track just threw, I think." the driver replied. "Probably didn't appreciate being hit by an artillery shell. Engine is dying too; I don't know how long it will hold together." Maho grumbled and looked back out to the cautiously approaching Soviet troops, who had been joined by the ISU-152 that had hit the Tiger as Maho and her crew tried to make their escape. "What do you think?"

Maho sat, staring down the barrel of the Soviet ML-20 before her as she thought. The Soviets were holding back, weapons leveled as they watched the tank; for what, Maho wasn't sure, but she wasn't about to stick her head out and ask. "How long do you think the engine will last?"

Yukiko hummed, her eyes scanning the gauges before her. "Not really sure...I'd say at least five minutes. I might be able to fix it while it's running, but..."

"Do what you can." Maho replied simply. "Niko, on my mark, get that ISU. Riko, get the high explosive ready, and load as quickly as you can. Hisayo..." Maho looked down at her friend, who's eye told her she already knew what Maho was going to ask. "Use the hull MG as needed. Don't let the infantry get too close. Same to you, Niko."

The crew of the Tiger all nodded, and quickly made their preparations. Yukiko crawled into the back, opening the rear hatch and starting to work on the engine, while Maho helped Riko move and prime some of the high explosive rounds from the ammo rack. Once everyone was ready, Maho took a deep breath.

"Traverse right, ten degrees! Fire when ready!"

With reflexes and an accuracy trained by hours and hours of training under the most renown Tankery schools, Niko traversed the turret and sighted the Soviet tank before anyone outside of the tank could react. "Firing one!"

The cannon boomed and recoiled back into the turret, the spent casing ejecting out of the breech as Maho observed the damage to the enemy assault gun. The round pierced right through the casemate of the tank and, based on the lack of reaction from the enemy, took the crew out of the fight. Quickly switching gears, the Tiger commander made a quick scan, sighting a squad of Soviet troops charging up to the immobilized Tiger, obviously confident in their chances. "Riko, high explosive! New target, enemy infantry!" The sound of a shell being rammed into the breech and the door slamming shut notified Maho of the status of the gun before she continued. "Turret left, twenty degrees, elevate five! Fire when ready!"

The turret mechanisms whirred as the gun was laid onto target, the Soviet troops in question faltering as the Tiger bared its teeth at them. No shot immediately came, but just before Maho said something, the cannon boomed again and the enemy infantry disappeared into a cloud of dirt and smoke, rimmed, Maho noticed, with just a tinge of red. She winced, just slightly, but kept Gerhard's words in her mind. "If we're going to get the five of you back to where you belong, you'll have to kill them. No way around it, seeing as they'll be trying to kill you."

That thought in mind, Maho found the next target and directed Niko to engage, a round of high explosive slamming into a nearby building and partially collapsing it, filling the way they had come with debris. As the next round was loaded into the breech, the headset crackled as Yukiko came over the radio, the noise of the battle too much to allow for normal speaking. "Maho, I can get the engine fixed soon! Looks like it had a few fittings knocked loose, but we'll need to shut it off for a few minutes so I can get back there and tighten them down!"

The cannon boomed again as Maho took in the information, the turret rattling from the force of the recoil. "How long do you think the batteries will hold?"

There was silence for a moment as the driver presumably compiled the information she knew before reporting. "With this use, no more than a couple of minutes. I should be able to do what I need in that time before they run out."

"Make sure you do." Maho replied, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Niko, we're taking the engine down for repairs. Try to minimize the amount of turret traverse we use. Hisayo, kill any electronics we don't need."

"Hai!"

"Yokite!"

"Enemy tank, two o'clock!"

"Gunner, engage target at will!"

As the KwK. 36 roared again, the cabin lights in the tank cut out and the engine died as Yukiko began her work. The Soviet tank that had appeared in front of them jerked to a stop, the main gun firing before the tank had fully settled, resulting in the round passing harmlessly overhead. The round from the Tiger's gun, however, slammed into the side of the T-34 and knocked it out, a few crewmembers jumping out and retreating behind the wreck of their vehicle. Before the next round was even loaded, Maho had already found their next targets, a pair of IS-2s that had appeared from further down the road and were bringing their own cannons to bear. "New target, enemy tanks! Traverse right one-zero-zero degrees! Engage when ready! Riko, standby to load APC!"

The turret buzzed as Niko brought the gun around, the sound making Maho all the more cognizant of the limited battery supply the Tiger had. With a sudden jolt, the turret stopped moving, and the cannon elevated slightly as Niko made her last-second corrections.

"Firing!"

Maho watched as the first IS-2 ejected its turret on a pillar of flame and flying metal, the Panzergranate 39 shell punching right through the turret and detonating the ready rack within. Before the next round was loaded in, though, a tongue of flame gushed out from the second heavy tank as it fired, the massive shell screaming straight towards the side of the Tiger. ""BRA-"

Before Maho could fully warn the others, the 122-millimeter shell slammed into the side of the Tiger, sending the crew inside reeling as a spray of something flew through the darkened interior, cutting into Maho's skin and forcing her to cover her face for safety. She heard Yukiko cursing below and the stunned moans of the gun crew as they struggled to regain their bearings. Almost instantly, however, the sound of machine gun fire from below alerted her as to Hisayo's well-being, and she silently thanked her friend for keeping her cool head. "Get up, quickly! Before we get shot again!"

The second statement seemed to bring both gunner and loader out of their dazed state, and they clambered back into position beside the breech of the cannon, Riko retrieving the next round from the rack and slamming it into the back of the gun. "Gun up!"

"Shot out!"

Maho got herself situated again just in time to see the second IS-2 take a hit from the Tiger's cannon, the tank seeming to shrug off the hit and resighting its own cannon after having been slightly knocked off target. "APCBC, load and fire again! Niko, aim for the turret!" Both girls responded in the affirmative, taking their respective actions and setting the gun up for its third shot of the engagement.

"Gun ready!"

"Shot out!"

Once more, the 88-millimeter cannon boomed, and the shot flew true, piercing the cheek of the IS-2's turret and knocking it back off target, this time for good. The gunner and loader duo both gave a small cheer as the turret was brought back to the front, Niko opening up with the coaxial machine gun and supressing the Soviet infantry that had tried to take advantage of the distraction. "Yukiko, update!"

"Almost there!" the driver replied, the sound of a ratchet coming through the headset as she spoke. "Be careful with the batteries though, we can't have much left after that!"

"Three hundred amps and draining!" Hisayo added from her spot, presumably having checked the instruments. Maho, though no one could see it, nodded as she received the report. 'That's enough for now, as long as we don't have to do a full turret rotation.' she mused as another tank shell hit the front of the Tiger. 'Probably.' "Target, direct front! Estimate two hundred meters, depress and fire!"

The blast of the cannon echoed in Maho's ears as she evaluated the situation around the tank; while she couldn't get the same awareness as when she was unbuttoned, as she typically did during matches, it seemed, to her, that the Soviet troops around them were starting to become more wary, the heavy tank before them probably having put up more of a fight than they expected. Regardless, they still posed a threat to her crew and her tank, and so they would be treated as such. A small smile made its way onto her visage as she got into the heat of the fight, glad to finally have something to do, no matter the danger.

Starshina Fjodor Belinkov

1151 hours

Fjodor grunted as he looked around at the battlefield, where tens of Soviet soldiers lay dead or dying in the smoky haze. The wreck of a burning, turretless T-34 lit up the area, and the illumination it provided revealed a faint outline in the distance. His eyes narrowed at the shape, the Tiger that had caused all this damage and refused to die. Despite witnessing a shot from the Tank Corps' renown zveroboy, and a further variety of what even he, as a rifleman, knew should have been fatal blows, the Fascist heavy tank refused to die. Instead, it had somehow survived, and even worse, was making a mockery of the premier forces of the Red Army. He wondered if the battalion had stumbled across one of the rare 'old breed' still left in the German army, but was more keen to chalk it up to dumb luck.

"Any luck, efreitor?"

The young man beside Fjodor shook his head, a radio set beside him. "Command says the air force has been grounded today. There's a storm blowing in and they aren't confident any more aircraft can be launched. Any that are already in the air are patrolling the skies towards the center of Berlin." The sergeant cursed and spat on the ground, looking around. Many of the remaining battalion had amassed here, in the cover provided by the destroyed buildings and cluttered streets. Another two tanks where awaiting orders nearby, ready to assist in the next step of the battle, whatever it might be. Whether or not leadership would take the hint and leave this lone tank, or if they would expend more men and resources trying to take it out, was all in the air. As he mulled over it, the sound of footsteps broke his concentration, and he turned to see one of the commissars had walked up alongside him. "Any trouble, serzhant?"

"Only waiting for our next orders, sir."

"Ah." the political officer replied simply, observing the scene before them. After a few more moments, he nodded, as though in agreement with his own thoughts. "Quite a troublesome foe, but one that, like any other, cannot withstand our army's might and will. Do not worry, sergeant; we will crush them." As the man walked away, Fjodor raised an eyebrow, having not expected such a response from the commissar. He shrugged and looked back towards the shadow of the Tiger tank, which sat, waiting, in the haze. A drop of rain from above caught him on the cheek, and he wiped it away while groaning internally. 'Weather needs to make its mind too.' As the skies opened up, a whistle sounded from the center of the rally point, followed by the voice of the captain.

"Company, prepare to charge, as one! We shall overwhelm the enemy and show them that we cannot, will not be impeded! URA!"

"URAAAAAA!"

The wind carried the battle cry across the battlefield as the remainder of the company surged forth, ready to take on the formidable foe before them. Fjodor, with little other choice, joined his men as they charged the enemy, echoing the call of the Motherland.

Hauptmann Gerhard Koln

1156 hours

'They can't have gone too far.'

Gerhard kicked at a rock as he searched around for any sign of passage from a 60-ton heavy tank, but to his surprise, neither he nor any other members had found more than some tank tracks, and as no one could differentiate between Soviet and German tracks, they were useless. He glanced over to Ella, who had taken the chance to sit and look at Nikolas and Hans' wounds.

Well, not so much taken the chance as ordered the two men to sit and listen to her. The hauptmann smiled at the thought of Ella one day as a mother, doing the same to some rowdy children of hers. 'And its my job to make sure she gets the chance to.' The young woman in question caught his eye and smiled back before going back to her work. Nikolas, on the other hand, looked rather annoyed at being forced to hold still for longer than a few seconds, while Hans was rather relaxed, perhaps taking advantage of the momentary lull.

Resuming his task, Gerhard took a moment to listen closely to the area, not really hearing anything out of the ordinary sounds of battle in the distance. Sporadic gunfire had broken out nearby every now and then, but for now, it seemed the world around them was silent. Mostly. Still thinking about where to look, Gerhard absently called out "Amelia! Any sign of the Soviets?"

"Nein, hauptmann." the woman responded from further down the street, where she was holed up and watching the rear with Gunther. Gerhard nodded and looked around. It was likely the Soviets, after failing to find the squad in the streets, decided to go after the much more obvious and prestigious Tiger. It would have explained the cannon fire from earlier, and while Maho's words of reassurance from earlier rang in his head, he still worried for the young woman and her crew. It was only natural for it to happen, he supposed, as she was the girl he'd decided to fall for, however slowly he was going about actually saying it. At that thought, he resolved to make it known, clearly, next time he had a chance.

As he looked around for any sign of the Tiger and its crew, the captain heard a familiar, unwelcome sound, faintly at first, and then swelling in volume as its source grew ever-more motivated.

"URRRRAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Immediately, the squads' heads all snapped towards the sound, weapons leveled in a heartbeat. In a moment, they realized the charge was not directed at them, and they relaxed, if only just. Ears all cocked towards the sounds of battle as they started, the distinct sound of German machine guns rattling out and the deep boom of cannons as they were fired resounding through the air. Gerhard heard the loud report of the infamous German 88, and locked eyes with Gunther, who nodded as though to confirm he recognized it too. A quick glance around showed the other members of the squad had recognized it as well, and some were already standing, with Nikolas all-too-happy to get way from a suddenly-miffed Ella.

"Well then, kommandant?"

Gerhard sighed and motioned with his rifle. "Let's follow the sounds of combat. Whatever we find is sure to be interesting." With that, the squad resumed their trek, moving towards the sounds of battle and leaving behind the safety of their shelter.

"I don't find this interesting in any way, hauptmann!"

Gerhard snorted at Hans's remark as he fired a series of bursts at some Soviet troops rushing towards his position. Behind him, Nikolas was grunting and cursing as he replaced an overheated barrel on his machine gun, the thick asbestos gloves he used decreasing his dexterity. Before him, the haupmann eyed each threat as they arrived, all rushing towards the outnumbered, though not demoralized, German squad. 'One there, and a pair of non-comms...okay, only one. Thank you Leo.'

Another shot took down the second Soviet sergeant from above, eliminating the immediate threat of the Soviet submachine guns before they got too close. The rest of the squad continued pouring on mostly-accurate rifle fire, keeping the enemy troops from advancing, but remaining unable to advance themselves. Gerhard debated throwing a grenade to try and clear them up, but having only two left, he decided against it for now.

"Ready!"

'Thank God.' Gerhard thought as the squad's MG34 began firing again, its operator finally having fixed the issue. With the machine gun now laying down fire, Gerhard saw the chance to advance, and motioned for Amelia and Bernhard to follow him. The two nodded and followed close behind their commander as he led the way, surprising the Soviet troops who had taken shelter from the hail of machine-gun fire. Gerhard promptly fired two rounds into the first Soviet he saw, then another into a second soldier before he could fire his weapon in retaliation. Beside him, Amelia and Bernhard were both firing at other infantry further down the street, and he left it to them as he waved for the rest of the squad to move up.

"Hauptmann, look!"

Gerhard squinted at the scene before him, tracing Bernhard's finger through the air and finding what had caught his attention. Before them, a sort of weapons cache seemed to have been established, with Soviet ammo crates and weapons lying everywhere. To the side, an aid station had been set up, with Russian troops tending to wounded soldiers. Further beyond was the edge of the town, and just beyond the road and in a field, Gerhard saw what looked to be the silhouette of a Tiger, guns blazing as Soviet infantry swarmed it.

Before Gerhard could comment on the scene, shouts of alarm brought his attention back to the aid station, where the enemy assisting their wounded comrades had noticed them and, to his dismay, retrieved firearms. After the first few shots had been sent his way, Gerhard ducked into cover behind a low wall and sighed. 'They never make this easy, do they?' Looking at the squad around him, he raised his voice. "We have to break through. Let's take out the ones engaging us, but watch your fire and try not to his the wounded. If they aren't engaging us, don't kill them, unless you want to be next!" The sudden harshness of the hauptmann's last command caught some off-guard, but they nodded in understanding and readied their weapons.

"Los!"

With incoherent yells, the German troops popped out of cover and opened fire, catching the first few enemy troops off guard and putting them down. Before the remainder could get to cover, Nikolas opened fire with his machine gun, the rounds tearing into the enemy and sending them face-first into the dirt. A grenade was thrown towards the German soldiers as they began slowly advancing, but with a move Gerhard had seen commonly on sports fields as a child, Bernhard stepped up and swung with the butt of his rifle, hitting the small device in midair and returning it to the soldier who lobbed it, who was so shocked that he failed to react before disappearing in the subsequent explosion. Gerhard might have laughed had the man's demise not been so grisly, but he dipped his head towards the young recruit, who indeed looked as though he'd been one of the victors of the 1936 Olympic games. The young man returned the nod with a grin before facing the enemy once more, who had already been mostly defeated, with the exception of the wounded soldiers and those assaulting the tank before them.

As the squad recovered and reloaded their weapons, Hans nudged Gerhard, motioning over to Leopold, who had joined them only moments ago and was standing, eyeing the wounded Soviets, all of whom appeared to be unconscious; whether due to injuries or medication, Gerhard didn't care. He saw that the sniper had his pistol out, a rare thing for the man, and it only took a second before the dots connected and his eyes widened. "Leo!"

The man turned, his typical neutral look on his face. "Was ist, Kommandant?" he said, fiddling with his pistol as Gerhard walked over, the others in the squad suddenly hyper-aware of the situation. The hauptmann had already slung his rifle over his shoulder, and a hand was on the pistol in his belt, watching the gefreiter closely.

"What's on your mind?"

Leopold grunted, a grim smile on his face. "It'd be easy, you know. They'll just be coming back to kill us later; why not eliminate the problem now?" Gerhard remained both still and silent, waiting to see what the man had to say. When the silence prevailed, the sniper continued. "You know, ever since my father and I were conscripted, there's been no one watching the house aside from my mother and sister." Gerhard remained as he was, starting to see where this might be going.

"A lot of rumors have been going around, too. Not all of them unproven, either." Leo continued, his grip on the P38 tightening. "I've not heard from my mother in some time, nor my sister...and the last I know, they were still in eastern Berlin." He nodded to the group of unconscious troops before them. "At least here, we could take care of the problem before it ever becomes that."

"That doesn't make it right, Leo." Gerhard responded, with a little more force than he'd intended. Whatever the case, his words grabbed the sniper's attention. "And forget all the crap about morals and what's right or wrong anyhow; I'll not have my soldiers committing war crimes under my watch." Gerhard gripped the pistol in his belt fully, turning just enough so as to allow the other man to see that he was ready. "At least, not without swift punishment likewise."

Leopold stood and weighed his options for a few long seconds, eyes flickering from the pistol in his hand, to the Soviets, to the Luger in his captain's hand, and back. Gerhard waited, and could feel the eyes of the rest of the squad on the two of them as well. He realized the sounds of tank-on-infantry combat had failed to cease yet, and only made him more impatient. 'We have somewhere to be, and I don't have time for your stupidity.'

Finally, the sniper scoffed and spat on the ground, directing it towards the wounded troops. "They aren't worth it anyways. Might as well kill the ones that can actually try to fight back." He holstered his pistol and trudged back towards the squad's impromptu rally point, the hauptmann letting him go before releasing his own sidearm. 'Now is not the time, not this close to the end.' he thought, before rubbing his face and rejoining the squad. Gunther and Hans eyed both him and Leopold, neither man making a comment, before Gerhard looked around the small circle. "Are we ready?" At the nods and words of confirmation, Gerhard grinned.

"Good. Let's get stuck in again."

Maho Nishizumi

1223 hours

"Another one, left!"

"On it!"

The coaxial machine gun rattled away as Niko engaged another squad of Soviet soldiers rushing the Tiger. For the past thirty or so minutes, Maho and her crew had been struggling to hold off what seemed to be a mass push from the enemy to finish off their tank. Despite their best efforts, the enemy had closed three times, getting close enough to lob some antitank grenades towards the Tiger. The carbon-fiber lining of the tank had held up against the relatively lightweight explosives though, and the worst damage sustained in that time was to the armored skirts protecting the treads.

That being said, though, they were starting to run low on ammunition. The crew of the Tiger, though well-skilled in the art of tank warfare, were not used to fighting ground troops. Add that to the panic they were experiencing from fighting for their very lives, and it was understandable that the young women were more than a little carefree with the trigger. Even as Maho pondered this, Niko reported that she was loading the last belt of ammunition for her machine gun, with Hisayo's bow gun having run out some time ago. Looking down, the young woman took stock of what shells remained in the ready rack behind her; only about ten rounds of high explosive, and then they were out. And despite the masses of wounded, even dead Soviet troops littered about the Tiger, it seemed there would be no end to them.

On the bright side, the Soviets seemed to have gotten wiser and not engaged them with any more armor, something Maho was grateful for. Since the IS-2s had attempted to destroy the tank, three more T-34 series tanks had given it a shot, literally, and while they were summarily destroyed, without question, the thin carbon-fiber lining of the Tiger was showing the first signs of giving in, perhaps weakened by the impact from the two Soviet heavy tanks earlier. The young woman did not want to see what would happen should another Soviet assault howitzer appear and fire a round at her tank.

"Maho, we're almost out!"

Jarred back to the present situation with Niko's report, Maho glanced down into the turret basket, only to see that the ammunition belt for the coaxial machine gun was quickly being expended, the bottom of the basket and the tank itself littered with spent casings. "Riko, how many more rounds do we have?"

"Three!" the young girl replied, voice ever-so-slightly shaky. Maho looked over to see her loader's eyes tinged with fear, and as if it were a signal to her own mind, she herself felt a heavy weight fall upon her, realization setting in that the fight was soon over. 'Despite our efforts, there's just too many of them.' Maho thought back to earlier that morning, where she and Gerhard had parted ways in an attempt to allow her to escape. The former pilot's eyes had been telling her to cut and run, but she'd refused at the time, though now she could understand why he had tried. The woman sighed, resting her head on the lip of the cupola as the sound of the machine gun below petered out.

"All out."

The interior of the Tiger quieted with Niko's report, words hanging heavy in the hazy air of the heavy tank. The cannon boomed one final time, the shell ejecting into the bottom of the tank and clattering as it settled, the sound ringing in the crew's ears. No one spoke, the silence only broken by bursts of automatic and rifle fire hitting the hull of the Tiger, doing no damage but reminding Maho and the other young women of what awaited them outside. The crew all looked to their commander as she tried to come up with a way to get out of the situation, but couldn't. Not with a broken track, damaged engine, and no more ammunition.

"Maho..."

The tank commander looked to Hisayo, who had a small smile on her face as she tried to give her friend support. Looking around, she saw the others had similar expressions, but try as she might, Maho could not find a way out of this. 'Not unscathed, at least.' Even as she thought that, the gunfire died down from outside, and the short period of silence after was quickly broken.

"Vykhodi, fashistskaya svoloch', i my budem miloserdny!"

After a few seconds of no response, the words were repeated, a touch more annoyed, and Maho looked through the viewport to see a semi-circle of Soviets, standing about ten meters from the Tiger with weapons pointed. The voice spoke again, and Maho identified it as coming from a grizzled-looking soldier standing in the center of the line. Listening to the Russian being spoken, though gibberish to her ears, it was apparent that the man was counting down, and it didn't take a genius to predict what would happen when he'd finished.

"Maho..."

Before she could reply to Hisayo's more urgent, though still unspoken question, shouts of alarm came from without the tank, followed by the sudden swelling of gunfire once more. Almost immediately, Maho recognized the weapons as not-Soviet, having heard Soviet firearms for nearly an hour straight. Instantly, her spirits, alongside those of her crew, brightened as they each fought to observe the outside through their respective viewports.

The shapes of German soldiers, clad in a wide array of uniforms, had appeared from behind the Soviet soldiers, catching them off-guard in their moment of triumph against the Tiger and its crew. At the forefront of the attack, a familiar face was brandishing his assault rifle, shouting as he directed his subordinates in the attack. The Soviets, already demoralized after their struggle against the armored beast that now stood behind them, and with so few of their original number still combat-capable, were beginning to break. Maho watched as the ragtag group of German soldiers and conscripts chased out the Soviet soldiers, Gerhard and the machine gunner, Nikolas, if Maho recalled properly, giving the retreating enemy a few parting shots before the former turned to the Tiger and began running over.

Relieved, both to be out of the mess they had been in and to see the German captain also in one piece, Maho opened the hatch for the first time since the battle had started, breathing in the significantly fresher air. The others did the same, poking their heads out of the tank as Gerhard leapt atop the Tiger and onto the turret, meeting Maho with a bone-crushing hug that caught the Tiger commander off-guard. After a moment, she returned it, albeit hesitantly.

"Glad to see you're alright." The German captain muttered, low enough that neither his own subordinates or Maho's crew below heard. Not that it mattered, in her opinion; the whole group was looking at the two with either raised eyebrows, wide grins, or otherwise knowing expressions. After a moment, Gerhard pulled back, sitting back with his lower legs folded beneath him.

With the faintest trace of a smirk, Maho coughed and said "We've got to stop meeting like this, Gerhard." The hauptmann looked bewildered for a few moments, before seeming to recall a similar situation from when it was his journey through time. He snorted and nodded, looking around. "That's true."

There were a few moments of prolonged silence between the two before Yukiko clambered out of the tank from her hatch, drawing the German squad's attention as she walked around the tank to the busted track, giving it a look before kicking the assembly and cursing. Resuming her more professional attitude, Maho nodded to her German counterpart, who returned it before sliding off the turret and back onto the ground, giving the Tiger crew some space as they began inspecting the damage to their tank.

"Before you ask, yes, I can fix it." Yukiko said dryly, already pulling out her toolbox. "The issue is that two of the three road wheels that are busted are on the second row, so it's going to take forever to get it repaired."

"How long?" Maho asked, skipping any formality she may have normally led with. She was aware of the fact that the Soviet soldiers that had gotten away were likely regrouping as they spoke, and it was only a matter of time before they returned, and there was little doubt that they would bring significantly more force than they would need to crush the Tiger and its small escort.

"An hour, two at the most if we get everyone in." Yukiko said after a moment, head tilted. Her eyes flashed over to the German soldiers standing around and speaking to one another. "If we can get their help, I can get started on seeing if I can fix anything with the engine, and we might be out of here sooner." Maho nodded and sighed, looking back at the damage to her tank.

"Get on with it then. I'll see if Gerhard and the others can help. The rest of you..." Maho nodded towards the other three girls who were sitting atop the tank and listening to the exchange. "...go ahead and help where you're needed." The crew of the Tiger all gave affirmative answers and set to work while Maho walked the short distance over to Gerhard and his squad. Upon sighting her, she saw one of the older men nudge the hauptmann with a grin, directing his attention to her briefly before he looked back and said something, receiving small chuckles from his entire squad. The group dispersed shortly after, and Maho walked up beside the officer as he watched his squad break away. Silence reigned for a moment, until Maho opened the conversation. "What was that about?"

"Mmmm...Gunther just being the smart-ass friend that I never asked for." Gerhard responded, huffing as he shouldered his rifle and stretched. Noticing Maho's sideways glance, he shrugged and shook his head. "They apparently saw it sooner than I did, which is how it's supposed to go, right?" Maho made a conscious effort to not roll her eyes at the statement, ignoring it and the cheeky grin Gerhard flashed as he said it. When he failed to receive a response, the grin faded and was replaced by the hauptmann's more familiar, though faint, frown. "To be fair, though, I've been needing to tell you that."

Maho waited, knowing what the man was talking about, but still unsure enough that she didn't want to comment her thoughts and be caught out for assuming. The officer shook his head and looked over to her. "I think I really would like to stick with you, Maho. You've probably been the best thing to happen to me, in the little time I've known you." There was a small pause, wherein the former pilot looked away, towards where two of his squad were chatting and keeping not-so-subtle eyes on the two commanders as they spoke. "Minus the whole getting shot at part and traveling some eighty or so years in the future. But that just comes with the job, I suppose."

This time, the young woman did roll her eyes, though she managed to refrain from slapping the man beside her upside the head. Shaking her head, she simply groaned in mock distress before quieting down. "I feel the same, honestly. It feels like you care more than most of the people I've met; maybe it's just you being the big-hearted officer that Ella sometimes talks to me about, or maybe you care more than you want to admit. But you also are more than willing to trust me on the things I ask, and that means a lot when everyone you know thinks everything you say is from your mother's mouth, that all you are is a perfect carbon-copy of her." She sighed and shrugged, thoughts briefly going back to home and the modern day, before returning to the 'present' day.

"Don't want to be your mother?" Gerhard asked, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice. Maho shook her head slightly, looking up.

"It's not that; I love my mother, and she's a good person, if a little strict..." Maho trailed off as she thought about the events regarding her sister and the situation that could be seen as a solid, nigh impenetrable argument against that statement, but continued on. "I just don't like how I'm always compared to her, to how she did things when she was my age...I'm my own self." The young tank commander looked back to Gerhard, who, though not looking at her, was obviously listening intently. "You at least give me that outlook...you see me for me, and don't compare me to anyone else."

The silence settled again as the two each soaked in what the other had said. Suddenly, Gerhard turned to Maho, clasping her hand in both of his and looking her in the eyes once more. "If that's the case, then I'll make sure to keep giving you that outlook...and as for caring," He gave a small grin before continuing. "Of course I care. You're someone important to me, and you and your friends deserve to make it through this all, more than most of us do on this side. You're caught up in a fight that isn't yours, and I made it my duty to get you home safely. So that's what I'll do."

Maho smiled at the forthright words of the soldier, adding her other hand into the equation and gripping the hauptmann's. "I'm glad I mean something to you, then. And I'll hold you to that." The two stayed together for a moment longer before Maho cleared her throat, remembering the original purpose that she'd come over to speak with Gerhard. "So..."

"Mmm." the man said emphatically, releasing Maho's hands and gripping his rifle strap. The young woman swore she heard a small snicker from the direction of the tank, but a quick glance failed to reveal any culprits. She took a step back and gestured towards the tank, where Hisayo and Niko were both working to remove the destroyed road wheels and treads. "Do you think you could spare some hands so we can get this going a little faster?"

Immediately, Gerhard nodded, looking up into the sky, presumably estimating the time. "I can help, and I'll grab a couple of the others. I want to be out of here as soon as we can be." Maho nodded, and the two went their separate ways, thinking over what they'd just spoken to one another, as well as the trials they had yet to face.

General der Infantrie Walther Wenck

German 12th Army

1256 hours

"Hurry up and take care of those documents, feldwebel! Burn them if you have to!"

The young General Wenck raised an eyebrow at the words of the leutnant, who was trying to clean up any sensitive documents as the headquarters company prepared to evacuate. As the man sped off, the general motioned for the barely old-enough recruit to forget the documents and leave, something the young man did without hesitation.

"Sir, we're nearly ready."

"Thank you, Albert. Just a moment."

The general's aide nodded and retreated back into the back room of the shop they had taken up temporary residence in during the evacuation effort.. The general, on the other hand, went to the shattered window, glass crunching under his boots as he stood and comtemplated both his own actions and those of his men. For the past six days, the soldiers of the 12th Army, though battered, bruised, undersupplied and overburdened, had staved off the relentless red tide that now threatened, and eventually would, consume the last vestiges of the Third Reich. Tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of refugees, both civilian and military, had fled eastern Germany on his promise of safety across the Elbe. And, as far as he'd been made aware of, the Americans and British had received said refugees without incident, with soldiers laying down their arms and willfully surrendering.

However, now, it was too much. The Soviets had pushed in too far, the fragile corridor that was held open by the sheer will of the troops under his command crumbling. Many times, the general wondered if he'd perhaps left this moment too late, and if lives were going to be lost because he'd failed to give the order when he should have. Regardless of that, though, it would no longer matter, and the longer he contemplated it, the longer those same troops would be fighting for their lives against the inexorable Red Army.

Turning from the window, the general entered into the back room, where a radio had been set up and was awaiting his use, similar to the one set up what seemed like ages ago, at the start of the evacuation. With a quick glance at Albert, who simply nodded and stood to the side, Wenck retrieved the headset and put it on, ensuring that the radio was on and receiving his voice.

"Soldiers of the Twelfth Army, of Germany, this is your general. Due to the increasing pressure on our corridor, I hereby am giving the order to retreat. Retreat to the River Elbe, and lay down your arms. Live to see a free Germany once more. Your people are proud of you, I am proud of you, and Germany is proud of you. May you never forget what you have done for us in these darkest of days."

For a few more moments, the general held the key on the microphone down, thinking to perhaps add something on, but could find no more words. He waited about another half-minute, then repeated the message before discarding the headset. Around him, a small cabinet of officers and enlisted stood by, having listened to their general's message in person. The small room was silent as the general surveyed those around him, seeing signs of sadness, but also pride in what he had said. Then, he nodded.

"Let us go."

Hauptmann Gerhard Koln

1304 hours

"Hauptmann! Hauptmann!"

Gerhard looked up from the engine deck of the Tiger, having watched as Yukiko finished her emergency repairs and lending a hand in attaching some new piping and a new exhaust valve, which had been damaged, presumably, by the 15-centimeter shell lobbed at the Tiger by the Soviet ISU-152. Frankly, the hauptmann was impressed the Tiger was still in one piece, and it made him question exactly what the tank he was on was made out of.

Pushing the thought out of his head, he stood, slightly dizzy for a moment as blood rushed back into his limbs. Once recovered, he looked down to see Ella had come out from the ruins she'd claimed as her resting spot, looking alarmed. Immediately on alert, the officer leapt down and asked "What's wrong?"

"No enemies, Gerhard." The man turned to see Gunther and Hans walking up, the latter still with a slight limp from his earlier injuries. Based on the solemn looks both men had, and the one Ella had suddenly adopted, Gerhard figured the news they had was all the same. "What is it, then?"

"The orders have come in." Hans stated, shifting his weight and grabbing onto a nearby chair. "From General Wenck. 'Retreat to the River Elbe and lay down your arms.'" The man sighed, clearly worn out. "It seems our fight is nearly over." A quick look at the other two news bearers confirmed the statement, leaving the hauptmann slightly stunned.

"What about the evacuation, though?" The group turned to see Bernhard walking up, most likely coming over here in the event something important was happening. Gerhard glanced to Gunther, who just shook his head, nearly imperceptibly.

With a deep sigh, the hauptmann adjusted his rifle and squared his shoulders. "We'll have to pick up whoever we can along the way. Bernhard, Ella, get the others, and let them know. We'll move out in no more than ten minutes." The two younger soldiers nodded and departed, splitting off after a few steps to retrieve the perimeter watches from their posts. The group watched them go, and as they did, Maho came over, the slight smile on her face fading once she saw the grim looks of the German soldiers around her. "What's wrong?"

Gerhard shook his head, flashing the young woman a clear 'not now' look before speaking up. "Best idea, right now, is to make for the highway and head west as quickly as we can. The Soviets will likely be back any moment now, so we need to get moving. Is everything good to go?" Maho, upon realizing the last statement was directed at her, nodded once, understanding that, whatever was happening, it was urgent. Before Gerhard could resume speaking, though, Hans spoke up.

"You know those roads are going to be packed with hundreds of scrambling refugees, right? And there's no telling what they'll do in order to try and get a ride on a Tiger." Gerhard nodded, the thought already having crossed his mind. It was inevitable, but the main road would be the quickest way out for them, especially once the squad had left the Berlin suburbs. Hans simply ducked his head in acceptance, leaving Gunther standing quietly. When no one else spoke, though, he chose to.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?"

With a few chuckles, the senior members of the squad rounded up the juniors, climbing up onto the Tiger once more and settling in as the engine turned over. Before long, the metal beast was once more rolling down the streets of suburban Berlin, treads digging into the mud as the storm above slowly got worse.

Gerhard, having taken his normal seat next to Maho on the turret, opened his mouth to say something when a deep rumble of thunder stopped him, eyes widening slightly as the dots connected. It was faint, far off still, but the fact that he'd heard it was good enough. One look at the young woman beside him confirmed that she too had heard the rolling booms and associated it with their previous experiences. Without a word, the two tentatively locked hands, finding some ease in the other's company as they prepared to face the rough road before them.

This is a chonker of a chapter (Sorry, the alliteration chance there was too good to pass up.) My deepest apologies for not getting this out earlier, but as I mentioned previously, both via the earlier author's note and profile update, work has been hectic. I cut this one short for a couple of reasons, but the primary one being so I could at least hold to getting new content out for the holiday.

Though the romance isn't supposed to be a big thing in this story, let me know how it is for future reference, please! And overall, what you think! I am always happy to hear feedback, especially constructive.

I've one more note: I received some cover art for Cold Steel from user Richard Scepton, and as I haven't yet, I would like to thank you for taking the time! It means a lot that you did that!

Until next time, folks, I wish you safe travels, good meals, and good drink, whatever holiday you celebrate! And if I don't see you before then, Happy New Year to all you brilliant people!

-KTA334